Wares Ali Khan :
Though in the past few decades, there was a shortage of required amounts of food in Bangladesh, but the country has now acquired adequacy in food production. This is a matter of real hope. But despite vast food production, we still lag behind in confronting malnutrition. It is obvious that the Covid-19 pandemic has brought forth additional pressure on the poor and marginal jobless people. And there is a constant fear amid the people engaged in informal job sectors that their life standard may deteriorate further as the flow of income has already got shrinkage.
In the past few years, the state of nutrition in the country has relatively improved, average life expectancy has heightened, and infant and maternal mortality rates have significantly declined. But due to Covid-19 pandemic, as overall flow of income of the masses has been shrunk, this has wreaked a substantial impact on food security and nutritional state of the county in a larger context.
A report revealed by the World Food Program (WFP) exposes that nearly 21 million people cannot afford a nutritious diet in the country at present and almost half of the population cannot manage a balanced diet for their everyday meals. Another survey conducted triggering nutritional state discloses, in Bangladesh, one in every six persons suffers from malnutrition and 35% of children under 5 years of age have stunted growth while 33% are underweight.
It is also a matter of grave concern that one in every three women, ages range from 10 to 49, does not have the required amount of nutritious diet. The country has already secured a consistent downturn in the number of infants born underweight over the last few successive years. However, that rate has begun to increase once again. We know, when an infant bears underweight at birth, its growth is stunted and its weight remains below average. If the expectant mother endures malnutrition, the expected infant carries an equal risk of getting invariably underweight.
During this ongoing pandemic the nutritional state of women and children is deteriorating. Adolescents and children are at high risk of slow growth. Hence, in order to combat nutrition deficiency especially for adolescents, children, and women a realistic nutrition plan and comprehensive programs should adopt focusing privilege preference.
When the world economy is badly experiencing multifaceted challenges and threats induced by Covid-19, the positive influx of average GDP of Bangladesh indicates that our people have achieved resilient power to tackle adversities, which surely is inspiring for all. We know, undernourished folks have lower productivity, relatively low physical stamina and caliber. Therefore, to break away from the malnutrition cycle and for the promotion of the state of nutrition more investment and prudent initiatives are must. Such investment will help to overcome malnutrition as well as boost the GDP growth for certain.
The poor people have already reduced expenses on food because of minimizing their daily income. Now, they are taking less amount of animal’s protein. So, accessibility of nutritious food for the poor people and their purchasing capacity should be augmented. The matter of food and nutrition security has to consider with utmost importance in all the development programs from now on. Families living in poverty with lack of nutrition should be brought under the food and nutrition security programs to provide them with a square meal and healthy diet as well.
For a relatively sustainable solution, employment opportunities have to generate both in formal and informal sectors. Inflow of earnings of the low-income groups has to expedite during this crisis so as they can meet their own needs for food and nutrition. The authorities concerned should concentrate promoting nutrition for the people as there is no alternative to healthy human resources for tangible and expected development.
Getting reasonable prices of the grown food products for the peasantry, rendering basic agro-training to educate farmers, and serving with agro-equipment for them are influential reasons to generate food production. An integral and extensive focus should be placed on aggressive agro-marketing. At the same time, providing monetary incentives and stimulus packages, assurance of a fair-price market, stopping the interference of middlemen along with timely disbursement of agro-loans will genuinely matter in gross food production in a significant manner.
To mitigate the state of nutrition deficiency, adequate supply of nutritious food at the doorsteps of the people must be ascertained. Again, only the sufficient stock of food at home does not necessarily mean everything is alright. Rather, proper allocation of food containing nutritional sufficiency as well as eating a balanced diet on a regular basis by the concerned families is a matter of paramount importance. Consequently awareness building centering the importance of nutritional diet for all has to be successfully accomplished. Finally, with an aim to fulfil the food and nutrition security we have to work together in joint hand from all concerns.
(Mr. Wares is a teaching professional and academic coordinator)
